Being involved in a truck accident can be just as damaging as it is frightening. Truck accidents cause significant damage to passenger cars because of their size. If you’ve been in a collision with a truck, you might want seek the consult of a professional truck accident lawyer. However, it is important to know how much these professionals charge and if they offer payment plans to cover their fees.
Total Fees
The total fees associated with a personal injury claim exceeds the cost of a lawyer. Aside from compensating your lawyer, you must also pay all fees associated with the following services:
- Expert witnesses
- Investigators
- Court filing
- Medical report furnishing
- Police report furnishing
These fees quickly add up in addition of your lawyer fees. In most cases, you can cover these costs through the compensation you receive if your claim is successful. Some firms even pay the legal fees up front for you and take it out of your total compensation after the court decides the case.
Most firms offer free consultation before you hire them onto your case. Take advantage of this free service to discuss your total potential fees and how you can pay your attorney for their help.
Contingency Fees
Most truck accident lawyers charge based on contingency fees. Contingency fees come out of your total compensation after the court processes your claim. This is a useful option that doesn’t require you to pay any legal fees until you receive your completely awarded compensation. There is no requirement to pay for their services if you do not win your case. This can be a godsend for those who question how they can afford a lawyer on top of the court-related fees.
Some lawyers operate under contingency fees plus a retainer. This means you must pay a fee up front, before the lawyer helps with your case. This acts as a sort of insurance, and also helps some lawyers cover court-related fees that come up during the claims process. The lawyer deducts this retainer from the total contingency fee after you receive your compensation.
The percentage of a contingency fee that a truck accident lawyer charges depends on the case itself. However, a common practice among lawyers is to charge a 33% contingency fee, which would subtract 1/3 of your total compensation. It is important to discuss with your attorney that their fee should deduct from the net compensation you receive, in which you subtract all court-related fees first. Subtracting from the gross compensation would result in a larger contingency fee.
At Rodriguez & Associates, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means we receive a percentage of the verdict or settlement we win on your behalf. It also means you won’t get charged unless we win. The risk is ours.
Hourly Rate
Some firms offer an hourly rate payment plan if they don’t want to operate under a contingency fee. In this circumstance, you must pay your lawyer and legal fees regardless of whether you win your case. One rule of thumb to remember is that lawyers who are reluctant to offer a contingency fee might view your case as weak. Remember to think thoroughly about your case and the realistic probability that your case will succeed before filing claim.
Flat Fees
Some truck accident lawyers offer flat fees for their services. Flat fees apply to individual services in cases that don’t require a complete lawyer-client dynamic. For instance, you might need a lawyer to review your claim before you file it, but don’t want to hire an attorney full-time. In this case, you can hire a truck accident lawyer just to review your documents.
Consulting an attorney is always a good idea before pursuing legal action against any entity. Before hiring a professional truck accident lawyer, be sure to communicate about the details associated with payment and what options your preferred firm offers.